


Even invisible phantoms leave a mark

by Dirty_Soap



Category: Danganronpa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:21:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26457103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dirty_Soap/pseuds/Dirty_Soap
Summary: idk im writing this for fun at the moment. I dont know if ill ever be fully invested but for the moment please enjoy. This will be a phantom thief AU





	Even invisible phantoms leave a mark

Kokichi didn’t think he was a bad person. If there’s black and white then he was definitely a dark grey. Afterall, he’d never done anything illegal. Or anything he’d been caught for. Kokichi felt a smirk envellop his pale face. His mask attached to his belt, swang against his hip as he ran through a maze of dark alleys. 

The air, stale and hot, caused Ouma to work up a sheen of sweat. 

Nobody could keep up with him. He was invincible. 

He made another sharp turn, his heavy backpack filled with spray cans swayed having gathered up too much momentum. His small frame was taken with the weight of his backpack and he tripped over his feet and fell to the ground. His knees took the brunt of the impact. 

“Fuck” he panted. 

His black cargo shorts had offered his knees no layer of protection whatsoever. He quickly picked himself up feeling blood fall from his right knee. Kokichi stumbled when he put weight on his knees. He closed his eyes and sighed. 

This doesn’t hurt. This doesn’t hurt. This doesn’t hurt. 

He repeated the mantra to himself until it became true. 

His lean figure typically prevented him from being caught. He would slip through people’s fingers and laugh victorious as he outran his attempted captures. He couldn’t afford to think of the rocks and debris stuck in his open wound. So he didn’t. 

He could hear the distant sound of heavy footsteps and panting. Kokichi felt his knees give out and he slammed his shoulder against the nearby building. 

This doesn’t hurt. 

“I haven’t been caught before and I won’t be caught now” he muttered. 

He pushed off the wall determined to get away once again. He wouldn’t deny that this prank was a bit more risky than usual. He grimaced when he saw the bright flashlights right around the corner. He stood up fully now and began sprinting away on sore knees and burning lungs. 

His lungs were on fire and the spray cans were feeling heavier than ever. He ignored the shouts behind him, turning another corner looking for his way out. 

He knew this alley pretty well, having scouted it out before his prank. What he could say, it’s better to be prepared than going in blind.

And there it was. 

The series of window sills. 

Kokichi hadn’t questioned why there were window sills in an alley. Probably poor construction design. He’d seen much weirder things so it wouldn’t surprise him. 

People had the tendency to underestimate Kokichi due to his short height, but didn’t take into account that he was agile and flexible. 

In his association, he was known as a “parkour master”. The police somehow underestimated him every single time. Idiots. Kokichi cackled internally as he speedily made his way up the building, jumping from sill to sill. He sunk his fingers into anything he could grab and stayed in a crouched position against the mix of brick wall and thin window pane.

He pulled up his checkered bandana cowboy style. The bandana was tied around his neck with only enough looseness for him to cover up to his nose and ears. The bandana could be put lower on his face but he was hiding his new piercing on his right ear. Though it was dead of night and really dark, Kokichi wouldn’t chance the cops being able to describe him. He looked down at the frustrated men and gave them a friendly wave. 

They kept their flashlights on him never taking their eyes away. Some stood afar speaking into walkie talkies. 

“All this for me?! I couldn’t handle the pressure of the spotlight boys!” he gushed. Kokichi was almost on the roof now. His body was starting to shake from fatigue. He pushed down the tiredness and continued to mess with the cops. He knew he wouldn’t get another break after this. 

“You’re all too sweet”, he began, “but so so stupid” 

The men all quieted down and glared at Kokichi. 

He spoke with menace in his voice, “You can’t catch one boy, what makes you think you can solve actual crime?” He laughed and gasped when his lungs flared up. “How can you think you’re doing anything good when you’re calling backup on me!? A single person. Without a weapon.”

He shrugged and saluted the men. “Anywho, goodnight gentlemen!” He victoriously smiled under the bandana and turned back to the wall and crawled onto the roof. He rolled over the side and laid on the ground for a moment, breathing hard. He got to his feet and brushed off his white shirt. He checked that he didn’t drop any of his possessions, patting his head for hair pins, mask and pocket for his phone. Right as he was about to start sprinting away he heard a voice.

“Checkers.”

Kokichi turned slowly, shocked. 

A taller person stood up from the corner he was sitting in. Kokichi squinted at the figure but due to poor lighting and distance he couldn’t make out any defining characteristics. 

“Ominous figure.”

“Was this prank necessary, ‘Checkers’?”

Kokichi brought an offended hand to his chest. “You dare make fun of my super cool alias? That’s like super not nice” He began to sniffle, tears welding up in his eyes.

The boy walked closer, the moon lighting up more of his outline. He had a scrawny build and was much taller than Kokichi. For some reason he was also wearing a baseball cap. In the middle of the night. Weird. He couldn’t make out the boy’s facial features. He wore a long dark t-shirt and pants. Kokichi began taking a step back for every step the other boy took towards him. 

“Stop with the games. You’re cornered now.”

Kokichi stopped walking away and looked up at the boy. Is he with the police? He put on an innocent demeanor. He brought his index to his hidden chin.   
“What would you have done if I hadn’t climbed this specific building, Mr Emo?”

The boy stopped walking abruptly. “What do you mean?” 

Kokichi swung his arms back and forth as a child would. “I could’ve climbed any building so why wait on this specific roof?” He gasped, “Did I interrupt you jacking off? I’m so sorry.” 

And with that, the other boy was too shocked to respond. So, Kokichi made his break for it and began to sprint away. Surprisingly, the sight of Kokichi running allowed the emo to break out of his confusion and take after him. 

But this wasn’t his first rodeo. 

Oma jumped from building to building, his breath becoming more and more shallow and the urge to give up growing. Kokichi, convinced he lost the other boy, hid behind a large piece of metal left on what appeared to be a hotel building. Though this roof was illuminated by scattered lamps, he wouldn’t have been able to jump to the next building without a break. He pulled down the bandana, sweat coating his forehead and dripping from his unusually long bangs. He took the hair pins out of his bangs. Taking a spare elastic he always has on his wrist, he tied up the front half of his spiky purple hair into a bun. His shirt clung to him, sweat soaked through. 

Between the sudden heavy wind, Oma’s heavy breathing and his racing pulse, he couldn’t hear the other boy softly panting and slowly walking towards the metal. 

“I wasn’t done speaking with you.” 

Kokichi shrieked, curling up in a small ball. He muttered swears under his breath hoping the boy didn’t see his face. What the actual fuck. Kokichi pulled the checkered bandana over his face once again and unravelled his ball form. Once again, his lungs struggled to get fresh air through the humid bandana. 

This doesn’t hurt. This doesn’t bother me. 

“Wow! You sounded terrified for a moment there” Kokichi said happily even though his eyes were glaring daggers. 

“I wasn’t the one screaming, Checkers” Mr. Emo corrected, though he had been startled by the prankster’s scream. 

Kokichi stood up and patted down his shorts. His legs now had streaks of blood running down stopping at his socks. 

“Are you alright?” Kokichi glanced up to the boy reaching out. Kokichi forced himself to stop stumbling and shaking. 

This doesn’t hurt. 

He threw his hands behind his head, sporting a carefree posture. Looking at the boy, his face was still hidden by the hat and dim lighting. The taller one had pulled his hand back to his side. 

“Of course, so what do you want? You’ve followed me this far! But I still need your name before you take me out to dinner!” He shamelessly flirted, hoping to confuse the boy. It worked for only a moment. 

“Likewise, I need the name of the fair maiden I’ve pursued this long” 

Kokichi slowly blinked. “Do you think I’m a girl?”

Emo stared at Kokichi evenly before flatly answering, “No”.

“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that due to my status it would be ridiculous for me to let you in on my secret identity! You seem like an above average thinker though so I’m sure you can figure it out!” 

Kokichi took a second before adding “My organisation has over 10 000 members, it’d be a shame for you to not even get a single one of my subordinates.”

The tall boy froze. 

Kokichi looked around the roof. The only exit seemed to be down or a door behind the boy that was probably locked. Kokichi would prefer to go through the door, not trusting his body to scale down the building. He tightened the backpack he was wearing discreetly and rummaged through his pocket double checking for his lock-picking mechanism made of hair pins. 

“I’ve never heard of an organisation that big” Emo fiddled with the rim of his hat shifting it from left to right. 

“Well duh, its secret”

“I think you’re lying” Kokichi didn’t want to speak to this boy anymore. He had school in the morning and it was late. 

“Right, well I’m gonna go now.” Without waiting for a response, Kokichi made a beeline for the door. Mr. Emo quickly caught up to him and tried to stop him by putting his hand on Kokichi’s shoulder. Instinctively, Oma turned around and socked him directly in the nose. The boy went down like a sack of potatoes. 

“Oh yikes. Someone’s a delicate flower.” he muttered. 

Kokichi stood over the body wanting to identify this boy. He quickly patted the boy’s pockets but they were empty save for his phone. Kokichi left the phone in case it was being tracked and resorted to one final prank of the night. 

He removed the boy’s hat and hooked it onto his hip with the mask. 

How did this stay on his head while he jumped the roof tops?

Without the hat, Kokichi could see his face. He had short dark hair, long bangs and one section of hair that just… stood up? His jaw was defined and covered in a sheen of blood coming from his nose…. Where Kokichi had hit him. He also wore eyeliner. Holy shit, he’s actually fucking emo. Kokichi smirked. What a loser. 

He ran to the door and picked the lock leaving the boy on the roof. He pulled out his own phone and texted Miu his location. Miu would pick him up, no questions asked. What a legend. Not that he’d ever admit it but Miu was one of his closest friends. How she dealt with him all the time always eluded Kokichi. 

After walking down 2 stories, Kokichi hopped onto the elevator. Due to it now being around 3 am, nobody was awake to question him. 

19

18 

17 

16 

Kokichi sighed. He was now tired and hungry. All he did was spray paint a list of names of police officers with cake that he’d tap. Granted it was on the police building. But STILL. Did they need to be THAT worked up over it? He would’ve taken it as a compliment to have his name up there. 

He took out his phone and glanced through angry text messages Miu had sent. But she was coming and that’s all that mattered. Without the fresh air outside, his bandana felt even worse to breathe out of. People should appreciate the lengths I go to more often for a prank. He huffed. 

5 

4

3

2

1 

The elevator opened up to the main lobby. There was a cute assortment of colourful flowers and scattered chairs. It was peaceful. So he finally took a real break and draped himself in a chair. He put his legs over the chair’s arm, kicking his feet back and forth while keeping his arms snug to his chest. 

While keeping an eye out for Miu’s text, Kokichi detached the black baseball cap from his belt. He held the rim and looked inside. A name was written on the tag inside. Kokichi snorted. Who writes their name in their hats?

A smile tugged on his lips. 

Shuichi Saihara.   
Looking closer he also noticed some numbers scribbled nearby. A phone number. 

What a fool. 

His feet kicking picked up momentum, his knees completely numb at this point. The bleeding had mostly stopped and dried up on his shins. He put the hat on his head. This would surely annoy Emo. 

He typically only wears his mask with his crew or while committing his pranks. It was vital for him to actually be able to see during his escapes. So while he did love wearing his white mask with big clown lips and funky eyes, he wouldn’t get caught over it. 

Kokichi put his full attention to his phone. Just as he was about to look up ‘Shuichi Saihara’, Miu sent him a text. 

Girl Genius  
i am so fucking mad at you   
you little shit

Lying Truther  
Miuuuuuuuu  
Im soooo lonely   
Come vibe with me?

Girl Genius  
here. 

Kokichi looked up, seeing a car pull up to the hotel entrance. He pulled himself out of the comfy chair and looked around one last time. Nobody was there to see him except the cameras. He walked towards the door. With two steps left, he turned around and gave the cameras a kiss, even with his bandana on, it was obvious. He then waved goodbye as innocently as he could. 

“See you later Saihara-chan!” he giddily exclaimed. 

Then he sprinted out the door and jumped into his getaway car. 

Miu was annoyed. Her hair had been messily put up in a bun, leaving strands falling between her eyes and on her shoulders. Not to mention she was wearing her dirty clothes from the day before. Grease was smudged on her face and arms. She wore loose pink shorts and a black tank top. Her fingers were tightly gripped around the steering wheel, her knuckles white. 

“Miss me?” he passed the black and white bandana over his head and shoved it into one of his oversized short pockets. The car’s windows were tinted making it safe to not wear his face cover.

“No, you lying abortion, I was just about to have a fucking breakthrough on my invention.”

Miu kept her eyes on the road, her lips thin. Kokichi shrugged off the backpack and put on his seatbelt. Safety first. 

“You can crash at my place tonight”

Kokichi gasped, “Miu, you’re acting like you care about me.”

Miu rolled her eyes, “I’m too tired for this shit you asshole. Take my fucking offer or leave it but I’m not driving anywhere but my fucking house.” 

Kokichi smirked “Is Keebo there?”

“Fuck off”

“This is his car isn’t it?” Kokichi was getting excited now. “Did you finally make your move on the dickless robot?”

“Just because you’re sexually repressed doesn’t mean I am you fuckshit.”

“I was just asking”, he began to sob, “because I’m madly in love with him” 

“Cut the shit, Kokichi” he began to violently laugh and slapped his knee. 

His raw, bloody knee. 

The one that was completely numb. 

WAS numb. 

Kokichi’s laughter stopped when the blood started rushing from his knee once again. His face morphed into calm anger. 

“hey miu you have a first aid kit right?” he muttered.

She finally looked at him. She glanced at him, unimpressed. “Yeah, I’ve got you covered.”

He kept silent until they got to Miu’s house. He made no attempt to get out of the car when she got out. His body was heavy and the adrenaline had worn off by then. Miu walked around Keebo’s minivan, stopped at the trunk and came to the passenger side of the car. He handed her the black backpack. She slipped it on and waited until Oma raised his arms to lean down and pick him up bridal style. 

Miu walked into the open house and softly dropped Kokichi onto her brown couch. She left his backpack against the couch. 

Kokichi could feel her take off his shoes and socks. He didn’t stay awake for much longer, exhaustion finally overcoming him. He didn’t even stir when Miu used disinfectant and pulled small rocks and glass out of his knees. 

Kokichi jolted awake on the floor with a blanket draped over him and a pillow under his head. He pushed himself up and grabbed the couch for support when he couldn’t bend his knees. 

Maybe I overdid myself.

His whole body was stiff and sore. Maybe it was on account of him sleeping on the floor but he had a habit of rolling in his sleep and sleeping on the ground seemed more appealing than falling off the couch. Thank god for Miu’s good memory. Though he was in pain, the satisfaction of getting away, once again, was overwhelming. 

Standing up on shaky legs, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. 

5:47 am 

A 2 hour power nap is better than nothing.

Kokichi snatched his sack of paint cans and adjusted the straps to his frame. 

He pulled out his phone once more. No notifications. He pursed his lips and sighed. He didn’t expect to get any messages or anything but it was still nice to be thought of. 

Even at ungodly hours of the night. 

Kokichi was suddenly aware of the way his clothes stank of sweat and dirt. 

“nasty bitch”

The sun softly illuminated Miu’s kitchen. It was a small room having only a stove, countertop and sink. Kokichi stood at the door connecting the living room to the kitchen. The couch behind him was appealing but he knew he couldn’t stay for much longer. 

Miu’s “house” was actually just a place her parents sent her when she had inventions to make.   
Which was always. 

Miu attended school enough to pass the year. Her incredible math and science grades made the teachers more lenient to her skipping school all the time. She also obviously learned how to drive a car at a young age due to her fascination with building and engineering. Which is why the 16 year old was the perfect get-away person. 

Kokichi had to somehow get ready for school. Injuring himself was no reason to skip school. He was a good liar but not even he could fake his attendance. 

He awkwardly stumbled into the kitchen, hissing in pain. 

This doesn’t hurt. 

He figured today she’d be skipping school because Keebo came over the night before. They probably had a Super Smash Bros tournament and then fiddled around with Miu’s new invention ideas all night long. He found one of Miu’s spare notepads on the kitchen counter. Picking up a nearby pencil, he scribbled a quick thank you and promptly left. 

Kokichi felt bad for leaving the door unlocked but really couldn’t stay much longer. He awkwardly stumbled off the porch and began to walk towards Rantaro’s place. He pulled out his phone, noting the new cracks in the screen and the low battery. He speedialed Rantaro and hoped for the best. 

Rantaro never slept much. His mind was always active, searching for adventure and the next bit of fun. Kokichi could easily relate to Rantaro’s need to do something at all times. It was hard to sit still when so much could be happening instead. 

Rantaro picked up on the second ring. 

“What’s up?”

Kokichi smiled. He could rely on his tired rich friends so easily. “Wanna come pick me up? I was left alone and got lost.”

Rantaro laughed softly. “Send me your location I'll be there in a few.”

Kokichi complied and continued to hobble away from Miu’s house.   
A few minutes later, Kokichi could hear the thrum of Rantaro’s scooter. The scooter was a solid coat of black, heavily contrasting to Rantaro’s coloured patterned shirt and bright green helmet, made to match his chaotically green hair. 

Kokichi wasn’t one to judge people’s style choices. He had black hair with dyed purple tips and the weirdest case of heterochromia literally ever. One eye is yellow and the other purple. Kokichi typically wears contacts though to avoid having such distinctive features. At the moment, he didn’t have his purple contacts. He only wore contacts to public areas and school, it made him stand out less. 

Rantaro stopped in front of him, threw a helmet at him and patiently sat while Kokichi got comfortable. Kokichi knew he was meant to hold the bar behind him, but with the speed that his friend drove, it was safer to hold onto him. So Kokichi nestled his head into Rantaro’s shoulder and hugged him as tightly as he needed to. 

In the blink of an eye, Rantaro had suddenly stopped and was taking off his helmet. They were in the Avocado’s garage. Kokichi swiftly got off his ride, his legs having turned to jello. He pulled out his phone and checked the time, 6:03 am. Gripping his backpack’s straps, he braced himself, repeated his mantra and walked into Rantaro’s main entrance, limping as little as possible.


End file.
